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Eyvind Earle, born in New York City in 1916, embarked on his artistic journey at a remarkably young age. His father presented him with a unique challenge: to read 50 pages of a book or create a painting every day. Earle embraced both tasks, laying the foundation for a prolific career that would span nearly a century.
Earle’s talent was evident early on; at just 14, he held his first solo exhibition in France. By 21, Earle had bicycled from Hollywood to New York, financing his journey by selling 42 watercolors he created along the way. His New York debut came in 1937 with a solo exhibition at the Charles Morgan Galleries. Two years later, during his third consecutive showing at the gallery, Earle’s work received such acclaim that the exhibition sold out, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired one of his paintings for their permanent collection.
Initially, Earle’s work was strictly realistic, but as he studied the masters—Van Gogh, Cézanne, Rockwell Kent, and Georgia O’Keeffe—he developed a style uniquely his own. His art is characterized by simplicity, directness, and a confident handling that captures the essence of the American landscape.
In 1951, Earle joined Walt Disney Studios as an assistant background painter. His innovative approach quickly caught the eye of Walt Disney himself, especially with his work on the 1953 Academy Award-winning short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom. Earle’s distinct style defined the look and feel of several iconic Disney films throughout the decade, including Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty. His contribution to Sleeping Beauty was particularly significant, as he was responsible for the film’s styling, background, and color palette, giving the movie its distinctive, magical medieval aesthetic. Earle also created the dioramas for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Earle returned to painting full-time in 1966, a passion he pursued until the end of his life. His work, which includes watercolors, oils, sculptures, drawings, and scratchboards, continued to evolve. In 1974, he began producing limited edition serigraphs, further solidifying his legacy as a master of landscape art. Earle’s style is unique, blending seemingly disparate elements into a cohesive whole that is at once mysterious, primitive, disciplined, moody, and nostalgic. His landscapes capture the grandeur and simplicity of the American countryside, evoking a sense of timelessness and deep emotional resonance. As Earle himself wrote in 1996, “For 70 years, I’ve painted paintings, and I’m constantly and everlastingly overwhelmed at the stupendous infinity of Nature. Wherever I turn and look, there I see creation. Art is creating…Art is the search for truth.”
Earle’s career was diverse, encompassing book illustrations, magazine covers, and numerous animated commercials and specials for television. In the 1940s, Earle adapted his artistic vision to Christmas cards, creating over 800 designs that sold more than 300 million copies through American Artist Group. In 1998, the International Animated Film Society honored him with the Windsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement.
Eyvind Earle passed away on July 20, 2000, at the age of 84, leaving behind a vast body of work that continues to inspire and captivate audiences. Many of his paintings, sculptures, scratchboards, watercolors, and drawings have yet to be publicly exhibited.
On August 15, 2015, Eyvind Earle was posthumously honored with the Disney Legend Award, a testament to his lasting impact on the world of animation. The award was accepted by his daughter, Kristin Thompson, on behalf of the late artist.
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All rights reserved under International and Pan American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this website may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Eyvind Earle Publishing LLC.
INTERNET SPECIFIC COPYRIGHT CONCERNS
The Internet is merely another medium for exploitation of copyrighted works, no different for purposes of copyright law than print media. If you reproduce or display any artwork or materials supplied by Earle Publishing on the Internet without written permission signed by a representative of Earle Publishing authorized to give such permission, you will be infringing on our copyrights. Use of Mr. Earle’s artwork on the Internet presents an immediate, International infringement of those copyrights, and we take it very seriously.
To give you some idea of how copyright law applies to the Internet, the courts have already ruled that: a scanned image is a reproduction; an image viewed on a computer screen is a reproduction, specifically by making a copy in the computer’s RAM; storing an image on a computer is a reproduction; uploading an image onto a Webpage is a reproduction; making an image available for the public to see on a Webpage is a public display; and making an image available for the public to download from a Webpage is a distribution. In each case, an infringement occurred.
If you would like to make any use whatsoever of our artwork or materials on the Internet, please contact us before doing so.
TRADEMARK PROTECTION
The name “Eyvind Earle” in any format, design, or style, together with the goodwill accompanying Mr. Earle’s name, is a protected trademark owned by Earle Publishing LLC. This means that under the relevant laws, Earle Publishing has the sole and exclusive right to use and authorize others to use Mr. Earle’s name in connection with his works of art, including any books or videotapes about Mr. Earle or his artwork.
PUBLICITY RIGHTS PROTECTION
Earle Publishing is also the exclusive owner of publicity rights attaching to Mr. Earle’s name, likeness, photograph, signature, and voice. As a result, you may not use Mr. Earle’s name, likeness, photograph, signature, or voice “in any manner, on or in products, merchandise or goods, or for purposes of advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of products, merchandise, goods or services” without written consent from an authorized representative of Earle Publishing.
You may not use a likeness or photograph of Mr. Earle, nor may you use his voice or signature without first obtaining written permission from Earle Publishing. A violation of this section entitles Earle Publishing to obtain an injunction against your further unauthorized use, and to claim actual or statutory damages, profits, punitive damages, and attorneys fees.
Inquiries should be addressed to Eyvind Earle Publishing LLC, 1 John Street, #B, Sand City, CA 93955 USA
Eyvind Earle Publishing LLC.